AN: This is my first ever fanfiction ever posted on ! And what better way to kick it off, then with a Book Thief oneshot?

Sorry if there are some spelling/grammar mistakes! I don't currently have a BETA, and I'm sorta looking for one :) (PM me, if you would like to)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Book Thief! Markus Zuzak does. I only own the plot of this fanfic :)

(Dialouge is mostly from the book)

THIRTY-FIVE HIMMEL STREET

DECEMBER 24

With the absensce of two fathers, the Steiner's have invited Rosa and Trudy Hubermann, and Liesel. When they arrive, Rudy is still in the process of explaining his clothes. He looks at Liesel and his mouth widens, but only slightly.

The days leading up to Christmas 1942 fell thick and heavy with snow. Liesel occupied her time with reading over the Word Shaker, noticing all the details that Max had put into that gift.

On Christmas Eve, Liesel had made up her mind about her best friend, Rudy Steiner. She had walked over to number thirty-five, Himmel street, just before Mama could pester her about being out to late. She declared she had a present for him.

Rudy studied her with a raised eyebrow. "Well, where the hell is it?"

"Forget it, then."

But Rudy knew. He had seen her like this before. He could practically read her better than anyone else. Apples. Books. Ham... Stealing.

"This gift, you haven't got it yet, have you?"

A FACT

Liesel's answer didn't surprise Rudy. Not at all.

"No."

"And, you're not buying it, either." He said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Of course not. Do you think I have any money?" Snow fell into Rudy's candelight hair. Ice debris littered the ground in huge chunks. "Do you have the key?"

"The key to what?" But as soon as those words left his mouth, he understood. He quoted Viktor Chemmel with his next words, "Its time to go shopping."

All the natural lighting seemed to have been turned off by a switch, the only source of light was the distant church. It was Christmas, after all. Liesel hurried after Rudys more lanky stride until they stopped.

STEINER-SCHNEIDERMEISTER.

The windows wore their own form of clothes; dust and dirt. And the manequins silently stood silently. So did the shop.

Alex Steiner wouldnt mind Rudy and the girl next door breaking (visiting?) into his shop. Right?

****ONE FACT ABOUT ALEX STEINER****

He would have minded. A lot.

Rudy reached into his pocket, extracting a pair of keys.

The door swung open, becoming the young kids inside out of the miserable cold weather.

"Any candles?"

Rudy was dismayed. "I brought the key. Besides, this was your idea, Saumensch."

Through the dark, Liesel had almost made it to where she wanted to be, then it was as if a bump in the wooden floor had magically appeared. She crashed to the floor, bringing one of the stylish mannequins with her.

"Ouch!"

Limbs were sprawled all over the cold wood floor. The mannequin was completley appart. Two seperate arms, head and torso, and legs. "Get this thing off me!" Liesel dug her way to the surface of the sea of limbs and body parts, before jumping up back on her feet.

"Jesus, Mary."

Rudy tapped her on the shoulder with one of the mannequins arms, causing her to jump out of her skin. He wore that signature smirk and his hair was tousled. "Nice to meet you."

She just rolled her eyes.

A few attempts later of trying to find their way around the tight pathways of this labrynth type shop, Rudy fell over a box, cursing as his ass hit the floor with impact. He recovered quickly than made his way back to the entrance of the shop. "This is ridiculous." he said. "Wait here a minute."

Rudy pushed open the door, venturing out into the cold December air.

Snow crunched under his shoes as he made a beeline for the church. The small brick church stood proud, light echoing out of the windows, smoke pouring out of the chimney. He tapped his knuckles on the grand doorway.

"Herr Traugott, do you have a lamp that I could use to get home? Its awfully dark."

Liesel sat on a wooden crate, tilted to the side. The stiff fingers of a glassy limb drummed a rhythm on the floor. Mannequin arm in hand, she watched as Rudy approached the dark store, carrying a lantern which created a halo around his head.

"So where's the present you've been bragging about? It better not be one of those weird mannequins."

"Light over here, bitte?"

Liesel took the light source out of Rudys hand and inspected the rack of suits. She exaimined many before settling on a navy blue suit that seemed to look the right size for Rudy's lanky body.

Handing him it and pushing him into a makeshift changing room (a curtain on a curved rod, attached to the wall on brackets).

Light from the lantern peeked its way through the cracks in the bottom of the curtain and a shadow dressed itself.

She couldn't help it when her mind drifted back to the thought of Rudys examination...

Verdammt! Its his fault that he had to tell her his stupid story. That dummkopf.

As she was in deep thought (or frustration) Rudy had slipped out of the changing room, with his halo of lightthat reflected off his suit.

" Well?" He asked, expectantly.

Liesel rose to her feet and walked around him, inspecting him like a predator does to its prey. She stopped at his front. "Not bad."

"Not bad! I look better than not bad!"

Liesel smirked. "The shoes let you down." They did indeed. Dirty shoes and a crisp suit did not go well together. But then again, its the middle of WW2, who is judging fashion? "And your face."

Setting the lantern down on a nearby workbench, Rudy feigned annoyance and stomped over to Liesel, before tripping over halfway to her. A laugh escaped both of their mouths.

The sound of Liesel's laugh was like a melody to Rudy's ears. He closed his eyes, savouring the beautiful sound in his mind.

****ONE SAD THOUGHT****

That laugh was Rudys last thought.

Liesel crouched over him, like a standover man. His saphire blue eyes twinkled with mischef, his lemon hair was standing up on his head as if it were pointing to something on the celing.

Liesel had noticed changes in her best friend over the last several months. He had a longer face, his eyes seemed to twinkle all the time and his voice cracked occasionally. Liesel would laugh, but Rudy wouldn't. He had grown more handsomer than he had been before.

Kiss him, Liesel, kiss him.

Her mind taunted he. The sentence was chanted over and over in her mind that she almost sung it aloud. She had known that he wanted to his her still, but he was only teasing. Right?

But, Liesel couldn't hide that she thought of what it would feel like to brush her lips against his. What he would taste like. In fact, these thoughts plauged her mind almost twenty-four-seven.

Before she knew what she was doing, her lips bumped his lips clumsily.

She pulled back to find a wide eyed Rudy.

"Liesel?"

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he had moved onto another girl. A pretty girl.

"Oi, Saumensch. What was that?"

Tears started to form in the back of her eyes. "I don't know. I'm sorry- I just- I don't know..." She sobbed.

"Nein. Stop crying, dummkopf. Did you just kiss me?"

She wiped her eyes and opened her mouth. "Obviously."

Rudy smiled and sat up. "Then why are you crying?"

She contemplated this herself for a minute or two before answering. "I don't know. I thought that maybe- you don't like me anymore- that you-"

Midsentence, words were stole from the book thiefs mouth, by another thiefs mouth.

Liesel felt as if her stomach was doing saumersaults and her heart was warm. She loved her Saukrel. Her Saukrel.

Rudy brought a hand to the back of Liesel's neck, bringing her closer into him. They couldn't get close enough.

Liesel thought Rudys lips felt like cotton, so soft, like the fabric of suits that his father made. He tasted of stolen money candy, victory and Rudy. Rudy, Rudy, Rudy. That Saukrel.

Rudy thought that Liesel's lips were softer than cotton, and smoother than satin. She tasted of words, books and Liesel. Liesel, Liesel, Liesel. That Saumensch.

****WHAT THEY DIDNT KNOW****

Two angry mothers were looking for their

children. It could have been a

couinsedence that two youth were both missing.

Was it?

They kissed until their lips were swollen and were as red as Frau Dillers candy. They were both grinning maniaclly at each other.

Rudy stood up and offered Liesel a hand. She took it, standing up, brushing the dust off of her coat.

"Frohe Weihnachten." She straightened out his suit for him. "Merry Christmas."